Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:07:10-2:07:37

The design route to ten more useful Implacables

Building ten Implacables requires adopting the larger design in place of part of the Illustrious program, ideally with deck-edge lifts.

Aircraft CarriersDeck Edge LiftsIllustrious Class Aircraft CarriersImplacable Class Aircraft CarriersRoyal Navy
Watch at this timeFull video guide
Question

How could the Royal Navy have obtained ten Implacable-class carriers?

Short answer

It would need to adopt the Implacable-sized design during the Illustrious program, with the deck-edge-lift variant offering a better ship.

Notes

Britain would need to move directly to an Implacable-scale design while the Illustrious group was being built. That makes the larger class a program substitution, not an easy addition to historical construction. The comparison also includes a studied Implacable variant with deck-edge lifts, which would retain armour while improving aircraft handling. The exchange links fleet numbers to an early design decision rather than a late wartime order.